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Share-a-thon at the 2008 NSTA National Conference in Boston

Windows to the Universe staff presented resources at the "National Earth Science Teachers Association Space Science Share-a-Thon" at the NSTA National Conference in Boston, Massachusetts, from 12:30 to 1:30 PM on Friday, March 28, 2008. We demonstrated two activities related to magnetism, "Terrabagga" and "The Magnetometer" at the share-a-thon, which was held in Grand Ballroom B of The Westin Boston Waterfront.

This page page provides links to write-ups of those two activities (in English and Spanish), to other related activities, and to content pages on the Windows to the Universe web site that are related to the activities. You may find the information on the content pages useful as a reference for yourself or for your students if you choose to use these activities.

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A magnetometer is an instrument for measuring magnetic fields. Many spacecraft carry magnetometers to measure the magnetic fields around planets they orbit or fly by. When a spacecraft takes such measurements,...more

A magnetosphere has many parts, such as the bow shock, magnetosheath, magnetotail, plasmasheet, lobes, plasmasphere, radiation belts and many electric currents. It is composed of charged particles and...more

The Earth is a good example of a planetary dipole, where the lines of force point in a direction out of the South (magnetic) Pole and into the North (magnetic) Pole. Planets can also show evidence of quadrupoles...more

Mercury is the only terrestrial planet other than the Earth that has a significant magnetic field (220 nT). This field, along with the planet's high density and small size relative to the Earth, indicates...more

The Earth has a magnetic field with north and south poles. The magnetic field of the Earth is enclosed in a region surrounding the Earth called the magnetosphere. As the Earth rotates, its hot core generates...more

Jupiter's magnetosphere is a unique object in the solar system. It is the biggest object in the entire solar system. Not only is it big enough to contain all of Jupiter's moons, but the sun itself could...more

Saturn's magnetosphere is not as big as Jupiter's, but is very large nonetheless. It extends well beyond the orbits of Saturn's moons. It is probably generated in the same manner as is Jupiter's, which...more